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I have come to understand that New Englanders love to complain, it’s kinda what we do..more than anything. We complain about politics, weather, sports, kids, spouses … you name it we complain about it. It’s not that we are unhappy, venting or confrontational… we’re just looking for a different way to look at life… we complain to solicit creative feedback.. Like something someone once told me … “If you see your glass is half empty, pour it into a smaller glass.”

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Something happened this week while gassing up that got me thinking about our favorite pastime.. The local gas station in town is staffed by Wayne an old time fisherman with a deep down Maine accent. He pumps my gas and shares bits of yankee wisdom in a “down east” accent. Down East is like a Boston accent but Mainer’s draw out their words some…like a northern drawl.

Anyone can speak Down East Maine if you know the key which is to relax your jaw when speaking. When most people say “Mainer,” they emphasize the “er”. Try instead to say “Mainah,” letting your lower jaw drop on the “ah” part.

Words that end in “er” are pronounced “ah” in the Northeast…
Mainer = Mainah. Car = Cah. Mother and Father = Muthah and Fathah. Water = Watah. Summer = Summah.  Words that end in “a” are sometimes, but not always, pronounced “er.” California becomes “Californier.” Idea becomes “idear.” Yoga becomes “yoger.” Drop the “g” in “ing.” Stopping and starting = stoppin’ and startin’, or more specifically, stoppin’ and stahtin’. Broaden a and e sounds. Calf becomes “cahf.” Bath becomes “bahth.” Can’t becomes “cahn’t.”

Back to the story… So I pull into the gas station, roll down the window and shouted. “Hey Wayno…fill’er up regula, charge please…

Wayne: So how we doin taday?
Me: The groundhog says we are looking at an early spring this yearah….
Wayne: Well that’s great… I can’t wait to start complaining about the heat.

And with that response…. I understood exactly what Wayne and most of us here in New England mean when we complain the way we do…

It not because we aren’t happy… we are looking for a fresh perspective or better yet a great comeback on the things that bother us… If someone says… I feel like crap today… New Englanders look for someone to say… Stop complaining will ya. Everyone who died yesterday thinks you’re one lucky son of a bitch.

Some how that makes us feel better… New Englanders complain about the winter and the roads, the ocean and the heat….There’s a quote by Vincent Van Gogh summarizes our perspective best… “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”